Send us Fan Mail

On this month’s "The UMB Pulse Podcast," University of Maryland School of Medicine associate professor Jason R. Falvey, DPT, PhD, director of the Enhancing Rehabilitation to Improve Community Health (ENRICH) lab and inaugural director of the UMSOM Center for Disability Justice, discusses how hip fracture recovery depends on more than surgery and clinic-based therapy.

Falvey explains how neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, transportation, housing, and infrastructure affect older adults’ ability to age in place and avoid social isolation, and why current Medicare rules limit real-world mobility training. Funded by the National Institute on Aging, Falvey’s work to address these challenges includes partnerships such as GoGoGrandparent and plans for pilot testing and larger trials.

Learn more about the Center for Disability Justice: https://pt.umaryland.edu/research/center-for-disability-justice/

Learn more about the ENRICH Program: https://www.umaryland.edu/research/breakthroughs/how-does-where-you-live-affect-recovery-after-a-hip-fracture/

Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the “behavior problems” we see in people living with dementia are actually signs of pain?

Host Dana Rampolla speaks with Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, Distinguished University Professor and associate dean of research at the University of Maryland School of Nursing who is an expert in aging and long-term care, about how pain often goes unrecognized in people with dementia. Because they may struggle to communicate discomfort, pain can show up as agitation, withdrawal, resistance to care, or sudden changes in appetite and engagement. These behaviors are sometimes misunderstood and treated with sedating medications instead of addressing the root cause.

Resnick explains what caregivers and clinicians should watch for, from facial expressions and lashing out to subtle shifts in participation and mood.

Health care professionals can learn more about pain management in long-term care settings in this Clinical Practice Guide co-authored by Resnick: https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(21)00911-7/fulltext

Chapters
00:00 Pain Without Words
00:28 Meet Dr. Resnick
02:36 Why Pain Gets Missed
06:15 The Vicious Cycle
07:28 Signs to Watch For
08:55 Find the Root Cause
10:40 Guidelines in Nursing Homes
11:37 Non-Drug Pain Relief
15:36 Questions for Care Teams
17:30 Key Takeaways
19:06 Why She Does This Work
20:55 NIH Study in Practice
22:56 Closing Credits

Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

Send us Fan Mail

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) associate professor Sarah M. Kattakuzhy, MD, joins “The UMB Pulse” this month to talk about her research exploring whether semaglutide (a GLP-1 medication widely used for diabetes and weight management) could help reduce cravings and improve outcomes for people with stimulant use disorder.

Kattakuzhy, who is also the co-director of the Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine at UMSOM, describes the design of the STAC Study, which is evaluating the safety and tolerability of semaglutide in people with cocaine use disorder, including participants with and without HIV, while also tracking secondary outcomes such as changes in drug use and cravings.

She also discusses why stimulant use disorders, including cocaine and methamphetamine use disorder, have been especially challenging to treat, and how her work through the University of Maryland, Baltimore community-based research partnerships aims to expand treatment options and reduce stigma around substance use disorders.

To learn more about this trial or for referrals, contact Dr. Kattakuzhy at skattakuzhy@ihv.umaryland.edu.

00:00 Introduction to Addiction and New Research
00:40 Meet Dr. Sarah Kattakuzhy
01:45 A Day in the Life of Dr. Kattakuzhy
03:57 The Journey to Addiction Research
07:40 Exploring Semaglutides for Addiction Treatment
12:34 Details of the Clinical Trial
20:29 Challenges and Hopes in Addiction Treatment
24:31 Collaborations and Future Directions
27:39 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
32:13 Post-Interview Insights

Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.